Enteral nutrition is a form of alimentation and metabolic support in which nutrient formulas or medications are delivered directly to the gastrointestinal tract, either the stomach, duodenum or jejunum. Nutrient administration is performed using an enteral feeding system that includes an enteral feeding container suspended above patient level and a length of flexible administration tubing connected to the container and connected to an in-dwelling enteral feeding tube. Fluid nutrient flows through the enteral feeding tube via either gravity feed, syringe bolus or use of an enteral feeding pump. Excessive gastric pressure can result during feeding, for example through accumulation of gas or liquid resulting from stomach contractions, movement of the patient's abdomen, crying or through normal formation of gas. Typically the body relieves such excess gastric pressure by expelling accumulated gas or liquid through a burping response. However, in enteral feeding where fluid nutrients are continually fed to the gastrointestinal tract, upward expulsion of gastric reflux materials is highly undesirable. Additionally, certain medical conditions prevent or limit the body's ability to eructate. Because gastric reflux pressure cannot overcome the greater forward fluid pressure within the enteral feeding tube, gastric pressure relief (also referred to as gastric decompression) devices have been developed to relieve gastric reflux pressure through the enteral feeding tube to avoid uncontrolled upward expulsion of reflux materials through the burping response; such devices also prevent introduction of air into any portion of the enteral feeding system, particularly the enteral feeding tube. Because refluxed fluid generally comprises nutrient formula being administered to the patient, after relief of gastric reflux pressure, the refluxed fluid nutrient can be returned to the enteral feeding tube for delivery to the patient. Loss of refluxed fluid can adversely impact accurate enteral administration of fluid nutrients and medications, particularly since a selected quantity of nutrient is administered over a given period of time. A need exists for a gastric reflux pressure relief system that collects, accurately measures and returns refluxed nutrient formula and medications to the enteral feeding tube.
Improved operation of enteral feeding and gastric pressure relief would represent a significant advancement in the art.